Malco's Buxton Meat Co: Non-Compliance to Humane Livestock Handling in 2025 (USDA)

313.2

HATS Category II: Truck Unloading On 9/17/2025 at approximately 1420 hrs, CSI observed a trailer arriving at the establishment to drop off one beef cow for slaughter. While unloading and attempting to move the animal into the holding pens the driver kicked the back legs of the animal twice. The agitated animal turned and ran through a large gap between the trailer and the fence of the unloading corral and entered the property adjacent to the establishment. During this, the driver and establishment employees attempted to wrangle it, the cow fell into a mud-filled pit near the rear of the establishment property. The driver and establishment employees made numerous attempts to use a head harness to assist the animal in getting out of the pit but were unsuccessful. After approximately twenty minutes of struggle and several attempts the animal was able to right itself and get out of the pit on its own. Once out of the mud-pit the cow appeared uninjured and ambulatory, standing and moving on all four legs seemingly without any pain or difficulty. After consulting with supervisory chain of command it was determined that no regulatory control action be taken at this time. However, this occurrence does represent a noncompliance with regulation 9 CFR 313.2 (a): “Driving of livestock from the unloading ramps to the holding pens and from the holding pens to the stunning area shall be done with a minimum of excitement and discomfort to the animals.” The plant management was verbally notified of the forthcoming noncompliance. There have been no noncompliance records issued for the same root cause in the past 90 days. This establishment has not implemented a robust systematic approach to the humane handling of livestock.

313.2

On July 18, 2025 at approximately 0738 I, CSI REDACTED, entered the animal holding pens while performing a routine humane handling task (food and water availability). I observed that there were two large Angus cattle being held in one of the front corral pens. The water bucket in the pen had been kicked over and the animals did not have access to water; this is not in compliance with CFR 313.2 (e). The animals had been held overnight and because of their size they did not have enough room available in a single pen for both of them to be able to lie down. This is also not in compliance with CFR 313.2 (e). In addition, a second pen holding animals overnight contained a water bucket with only a small amount of fouled water available. As this was being observed, an establishment employee arrived in the corral area, and they were informed of the noncompliance. He stated that he was at that time filling the water buckets in the holding pen and proceeded to do. After filling the water buckets in the remaining pens, he removed the two cattle from the overcrowded pen. As the cattle were no longer in an overcrowded pen and water was accessible to all animals remaining in the holding pens, no regulatory control action was taken at this time.

313.2

HATS Category III: Water and Feed Availability On November 18th, 2024, at approx. 0711 hrs I, the CSI on duty, performed a scheduled Livestock Humane Handling task as directed by the Public Health Information System (PHIS) and made the following observation: approximately twenty-five (25) hogs were being kept in the front holding corral that was without adequate water access, which is not in compliance with §313.2(e). This corral has a sign posted designating it for cattle holding only, and only has a large cattle watering trough which is taller than the hogs. While some water was present, it must always be accessible to the animals. At 0726 the establishment manager arrived at the facility and was informed of the noncompliance. He responded by saying that he would move the pigs to a holding pen with water access immediately. He also confirmed that the pigs had arrived overnight and had not been held over 24 hours without food. By 0736 establishment employees had completed moving the hogs to an area with sufficient water access.